Corporate sponsors made SVGives’ success possible

Can you take a moment and think back to when you were a kid and woke up on your birthday or a special holiday?

On a special day last month I sprang out of bed before 5 a.m. without the help of an alarm. I was smiling ear to ear, bright eyed and energized! It brought back childhood memories of waking up on Christmas morning. The day was May 3 – Silicon Valley Gives!

I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of SVGives since we began planning in 2013 for the 2014 inaugural event, and it is one of my favorite events of the year. It brings our community together, bolsters the fundraising and marketing capacity of nonprofits (more than 1,000 participated this year), and it’s a great opportunity for companies in the area to show their support through sponsorship and employee engagement.

For each of the past three years I have been stationed at my local Microsoft store, sharing more about SVGives with shoppers and drumming up support alongside the most incredible helpers – canine companions! What more could you ask for from a day at work?

On May 3, more than 18,000 donors contributed nearly $8 million to hundreds of nonprofits serving Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Benito and San Francisco counties. None of this would be possible without corporate partners. In addition to lead sponsor Microsoft and media partners led by NBC Bay Area, more than a dozen corporate sponsors supported this community effort. We also added a new feature to the SVGives site to help measure employee participation.

It is truly an incredible experience to be part of such a fun, meaningful and energetic campaign. Sincere thanks to all of our corporate partners for making such a special day possible.